How does Acts 8:12 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20?

The Great Commission in Snapshot

• “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19-20)

• Core verbs: go, make disciples, baptize, teach

• Scope: all nations, age-long promise of Christ’s presence

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Acts 8:12 on the Ground

“ But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12)

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How Acts 8:12 Mirrors Matthew 28:19-20

• Going beyond Jerusalem

– Philip leaves Jerusalem (Acts 8:5) and enters Samaria, fulfilling the outward movement Jesus mapped out (Acts 1:8).

• Making disciples through proclamation

– Philip “preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,” exactly the content Jesus authorized (Matthew 28:20; Luke 24:47).

• Belief preceding baptism

– “They believed… and were baptized,” the same order as Peter in Acts 2:38 and Jesus in Mark 16:16.

• Baptizing all groups

– “Both men and women,” showing the inclusive sweep (“all nations”) of the Commission.

• Teaching implied

– The message of the “kingdom of God” carries the ethic Jesus taught (cf. Matthew 5-7), fulfilling “teaching them to observe.”

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Broader Scriptural Echoes

• Acts 2:41—3,000 believe, are baptized, and are added; identical pattern.

• Romans 10:17—faith from hearing the message, matching Philip’s preaching.

• Colossians 1:13—transfer into the kingdom of the Son; the kingdom preached in Acts 8:12.

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Timeless Takeaways for Today

• Proclaim Christ clearly—the kingdom and His name.

• Expect belief to be evidenced by baptism; no unnecessary delay.

• Cross social and cultural barriers; Samaria was once off-limits, now harvested.

• Keep teaching new believers; baptism is a beginning, not an end.